Project Runway All-Stars, Feb. 9 – It’s the Season…

Last week on Project Runway, the designers went to Central Park to find a “muse” who would inspire them– and give them clothes to serve as raw material for their newest look. Mondo won and Anthony was sent home.

The next morning, at the Flatotel, Mondo tells us that he finds Kenley loud, obnoxious, and annoying– but also kind of amusing. He adds that he “loves to push her buttons.”

On the runway, Angela has large totebags for everybody. Since Mondo won last week, she gives him first pick, and he chooses an orange bag. After the other designers have chosen their bags, they look inside them and find a card with the name of a season inside. Mondo and Kenley have summer; Rami and Mila have autumn; Jerell and Michael have winter, while Austin and Kara have spring.

Angela then tells the designers that they are to make sportswear fit for a weekend getaway, and that their sportswear has to go with their chosen season. Not only that, this will be a “head to head” challenge in which the designers will be directly competing against whoever shares this season. So each season will produce a top designer and a bottom designer. Um, what happens if both designers for a given season stink? Conversely, what happens if both produce fantastic clothing?

The designers have a budget of $200.00 and only one day to complete the challenge. Angela advises to think about who their “girl” and what she will be doing. Good advice. Going to the beach and sailing are both popular summertime activities, but you’d wear different clothing for each activity. The designers don’t have to use the totebags in their looks.

As the designers quickly begin sketching, Mila imagines her subject as a New Yorker going to Texas for an art festival. Austin’s woman will be spending her weekend gardening at her house in the country.

At Mood, Jerell looks for wool to make a coat, while Mondo picks out a polka dot fabric. Michael tells us he always has several ideas in mind when he shops. Rami tells us that his woman will be going to a wine-tasting with her best friend and will want something comfortable.

Back at the workroom, Jerell wisely decides to make his coat first, as that they will be the most involved piece. He tells us that he thinks Michael is a good designer and hopes that he “will bring it on.” Michael. for his part, plans to make a “geometric” coat.

Mila plans to make skinny jeans and a cape. She decides to start with the pants, as they’re the most difficult part. Rami tells us that it feels odd to be competing directly against Mila as they have such different aesthetics.

Mondo isn’t happy with the pants and top he’s working on. Kenley tells us she’s making an outfit for somebody to wear to an art festival in Miami and that somebody wants to look sexy and cute. This match-up could prove interesting, since both these designers tend to make clothes that appeal to the very young. I don’t know about any of my readers, but I stopped wanting to look “cute” by the time I was 25.

Michael doesn’t like the vest he’s working on and abandons it. Jerell notes that he and Michael are checking out each other’s work. Mondo isn’t happy with the pants he’s working on. He tells us that he doesn’t want to lose to Kenley. “This is like Wrestlemania…, well, Fashionmania,” he says. He loves the polka dot fabric he’d bought, but isn’t sure what to do with it. He is proud of his winning design, but doesn’t want to repeat himself, which is wise.

Kenley tries on Jerell’s coat, and says it’s beautiful, but too hot to wear. Jerell thinks Michael’s coat looks suspiciously similar to his and calls him on it. Michael sarcastically responds that he got the inspiration looking at Jerell’s table. He adds that his coat will have a belt, so the silhouettes will be different. Mila comments that the challenge is a tough one for Michael, since he doesn’t make sportswear or winter attire. She adds that he had probably not planned on copying Jerell, but “it happens,” and she’s probably right. Given that both Jerell and Michael were making winter sportswear, it was probably inevitable that they would both decide to make wool coats. Unless you live in the tropics, you are going to want a wool coat in the winter. To make matters worse, they’d both chosen black or dark grey fabrics for their coats.